Rack-and-snall striking clock



June 3 1924. 1,496,502

F. WEHINGER RACK-AND-SNAIL STRIKING CLOCK Filed June 6. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 3 1924. 1,496,502

F. WEHINGER RACK-AND-SNAIL STRIK ING CLOCK Filed June 6 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented .lune 3, 1924.

warren sTArss y PATENT oFFlcE.'

FREDERICK VVEHINGER. OF .VATERBURY. CGN-TECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WATERBURY CLOCK CO.,V OF VATAERBURY. CGNNECTICUT. A CORPORATION.

RACK-ANB-SNIL CLOCK.

Application filed Enne S.

.lc it known thatl, Fransman lllnriironn, a citizen of the llnited States, residi .fr at llfaterbnry, in the county of N ew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Rack-and- Snail Striking' Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear,` anl exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in- Y Fig. 1 an edge view of astriking clock of the rack-and-snail type embodying my invention, the parts being shown in their normal positions.

2 a front view thereof.

Fig. 3 a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in their warned positions.

F ig. 4 a detached perspective view of my improved lock-work lifting-unit.

Fig. 5 a corresponding view of my improved lock-work locking-unit.

My invention relates to an improved striking clock of the rack-and-snail type, the object being to simplify and reduce the cost of assembling and adjusting such clocks and to increase the reliability of their performance.

lith these ends in view, my invention consists in a striking clock of the rack-andsnail type having certain details of Construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

ln carrying out my invention, as herein shown, I discard the sheet-metal liftinglever and the sheet-metal locking-lever heretofore employed in rack-and-snail striking clocks. and replace them by means of a lockwork lifting-unit and a lock-Work locking;- unit.I both pivotally mounted in and between the respective front and rear movementplates 10 and 11 of the clock, and, therefore` advantageously positioned for co-action for the discharge of their respective functions.

My improved lock-work lifting-unit (Fig. 4l consists of a staff 12 provided at its ends with journals 13, by which it is pivotally mounted for rocking movement in the said movement-plates 10 and 11 and carries a depending lifting-wire 14, the lower end of which is bent and flattened to form a liftingtinger 15, which rides upon a double-pointed 1323. Serial No. 643,611.

lifting-cam 16 mounted upon the inner end of the center-arbor 17 of the clock-movent. The stall '12 also rigidly mounts a warning-wire 1S formed at its outer end with warning hook 19 co-acting with a warningpin 20 in the fourth wheel 2l of the striketrain, which may be of any suitable oonstruction and arranOjement,'the said pin 20 also discharging the function of a lockingpin, as will be presently described.

My improved lock-work locking-unit (Fig. 5) consists of a stall 22 having at its respective ends trunnions 23, by which it is journaled for limited rocking movement in and between the movement-plates 10' and 11 aforesaid. The said statt 22 has rigidly mounted in it a rack-wire 24 having its outer end bent forward at a right angle and dattened to form a rack-finger 25 which coacts with the teeth of the rack 2 6 of an ordinary rack-and-snail mechanism. The staif 22 Aalso mounts a wire-actuating hook 27, which rides upon the upper face of the warning-wireY 18 of the lock-work liftingunit, already described, so that, when the staff 12 is rocked through the agency of the lifting-cam 16 and the lifting-wire 14, the lock-work locking-unit is operated for unlocking the strike-train. The said statt 22 also mounts a wire locking-hook 28, the bent end of which co-acts with the combined warning and locking-pin 2O in the fourth wheel 21 to normally restrain the striketrain. The stati' 22 is further provided with an upwardly-projecting stop-wire 29, which, by with the adjacent pillar 30 of the clock-movement, as shown in F ig. 2, serves to limit the rocking movement of the lock-work locking-unit and also provides for the attachment of one end of a spring 31 encircling the staff 22 and serving to hold it in its normal position with the finger 25 of the wire 24 in engagement with the rack 26. corresponding spring 32, encircling the stall 12 of the lock-work lifting-unit provides for holding the same in its normal position.l in which the finger 15 of its liftingwire 14 is maintained in engagement with the double-pointed lifting-cam 16.

The lock-work liftingand locking-units, above described, take the place, under my invention, of the sheet-metal liftingand locking-levers commonly employed in striking clocks of the raek-and-snail type, one or both of these levers being pivotally mounted,

in ordinary practice, upon the front face of the front movement-plate. My improved lock-work lifting-units, VVwith' their Wire members, on the other hand, are interposed Ybetween the two movement-plates and are,

Aadjustments could be made only by'iiling sheet-metal levers, which, when filed, were to that extentv mutilated and rendered'less available for future adjustment. In another view, by my invention', I have, without loss of accuracy and eliciency, carried over the advantages Vof the rack-and-snail type of striking mechanism into the cruder forms of censtruction commonly associated with the count-wheel type of striking-clock, with all of the vadvantages thereto pertaining of simplicity,V cheapness, and ease'of adjust- VVVithoutentering into detailed description of the other features shown, it maybe added :that the rack 26 is located at the end of a rack-arm 33, rocking upon a stud Bil in the front movement-plate l0. Arack-hook 35,

connected with the varm frbut standing in Y front of the same, is formed with a forwardly-turned finger 36, which rides upon the steps of the snail 37, which is carried by aV ingand locking-levers of rack-and-snail i striking clocks of the prior art, it is'thought that a detailed description of their operation is unnecessary, since it is apparent to anyone familiar' with such clock mechanisms.

I claim: Y 'Y In a striking clock of the rack-and-snail type, the combination with the movementplates thereof, of a time-train, a strike-train one wheel of which carries a combined vvarning-and-'locking pin, mechanism. and a lock-work lifting-unit and a lock-work locking-unit, each consistingl of a` staff mounting wire-membersand each having a member co-acting withV the said combined warning-and-locking pin forY warning and locking the strike-train.'

In testimonyY whereof, I have signed this specification inthe presence of two subscribingewitnesses. Y Y Y 1 FREDERICK WEHINGER.

VWitnesses: f 'A H. B. Dow;V Y

J. R.V PUTNAM. f

rack-and-snail 

